This morning’s sermon text once again finds the Apostle Paul dispensing fatherly wisdom to Timothy. He warns the young pastor not to become embroiled in foolish controversies (vss. 16-17, 23), but instead to ground himself in God’s Word (vs. 15). If he were dispensing his advice in the present day, I can imagine him using some of the language in…
At the beginning of 2 Timothy 2, Paul urges his disciple to find the strength he needs in the person and work of Christ Jesus. While this is certainly an important reminder for a young pastor, it applies equally to each of us—something that the elements in this morning’s service point to. As one of the hymns we sing puts…
If last week’s sermon text presented Paul reminiscing about the past, this week’s passage finds the Apostle looking to the future, confident that Christ will lead him in the way he should go. He urges Timothy to follow in the path set before him (vs. 13), the “holy calling” that the Lord has placed on his life (vs. 9). As…
Second Timothy, which Pastor Grant will be preaching through all this month, is traditionally regarded as Paul’s last letter. The opening passage finds the apostle reminiscing about his own spiritual heritage (vs. 3) as well as his young disciple’s (vs. 5). Like Paul reminding Timothy of the faith of his mother and grandmother, the Scripture readings and hymns chosen for…
I know that my redeemer lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives.—Samuel Medley This year’s two sermon series have been a study in contrasts. After spending three months studying Exodus 20, and finding ourselves coming up woefully short of the law of God, these last two months in 1 John have provided such comfort and security. John writes to his…
Frank Wonder is a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Tullahoma and was ordained as a Ruling Elder in 2006. In that capacity, he recently served as Chairman of their Pastor Search Committee, which conclude its work last year. Frank became Gideon in 2008 and has served in various leadership positions at the Camp, Area, and State level. In April…
There are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood and these three agree. —1 John 5:7-8 Today’s sermon text contains this striking poetic passage about “the Spirit and the water and the blood”—one that has caused no shortage of debates throughout church history. Are these “witnesses” to Christ’s incarnation? Is John referencing Jesus’ birth and death,…
I’ll have to admit, when the task is to find hymns to complement a service focused on the passage “God is love” (1 John 4:8), the difficulty isn’t finding suitable material—it’s trying to narrow the material down! See if you notice some of the fantastic descriptions of God’s love in our hymnody this morning: it is “ineffable,” “wondrous,” an “immortal…
By this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. —1 John 3:24 Today, along with the rest of the Western church, we remember the events of the day of Pentecost. Known as Whitsunday in the English-speaking world, this celebration focuses on the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church. Red is…
When I was 8, my younger sister and I shared a queen-sized bed. Our sharing was not without its bickering, though — she was always on my side of the bed or wanting more covers than I wanted. I distinctly remember one August night when I layered the bed with blankets just because I knew it would make her hot.…